Fat-Free Sewers

Sewer overflows and backups can cause health hazards, damage home interiors, and threaten the environment. An increasingly common cause of overflows is sewer pipes blocked by grease. Grease gets into the sewer from household drains as well as from poorly maintained grease traps in restaurants and other businesses.

Grease
Most of us know grease as the byproduct of cooking. Grease is found in things such as:

Baking goods

Butter and margarine

Cooking oil

Dairy products

Lard

Meat Fats

Sauces

Shortening

Too often, grease is washed into the plumbing system, usually through the kitchen sink. Grease sticks to the insides of sewer pipes (both on your property and in the streets). Over time, the grease can build up and block the entire pipe.